Bag closure



Sept. 21, 1937. J. A. FARMER I 2,093,977

BAG CLOSURE Filed July 20, 1935 2 She'ets$heet l Sept. 21, 1937. J. A. FARMER 2,093,977

BAG CLOSURE Filed July 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 21, 193? ,atm

ll FAT TT HQ nae oltosnns John A. Farmeniiancaster, Pa. Application my 20, 1935, Serial No. 32,422

This invention relates 6 Claims.

to packages or containers, and more particularly to an improved closure for bags adapted the sale of finely divid for use in connection with ed or fluent materials.

Among the general objects of the invention are to provide a closure of the bag may be efie vent leakage, and which,

by the use of which the end ctively sealed so as to prewhen desired, may be readily cut to form an opening from which the contents of the bag may or dispensed.

be conveniently poured In my prior co-pending application, Serial No.

745,121, filed Septembe and claimed a closure r 22, 1934, I have described tab of sheet material to provide a pouring being shown as of the ing a single fold top of the bag, when s closure tab, is considerably of the filled bag.

pening, the bag illustrated satchel bottom type, hav

down each side, whereby the ealed by means of the said.

wider than the body In my said prior application, I have shown and described special means for re-sealing the poursided type, I have corner of the bagat ing opening, when desired. In the present invention, which is applied to a bag to so form the upper end of the gusset that, when pulled out after being cut, it constitutes an efficient pouring spout and when pushed back into its original position, provides an effective means for re-closing the pouring opening.

Furthermore, in my present invention, I also contemplate sealing the bag by operation, without the tab of sheet material,

a simple folding use of any separate closure such as shown in my said prior co-pending application.

In order that the understood, reference ing drawings forming and in which:

invention may be readily is had to the accompanypart of this specification Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bellows sided bag closed in accordancewith one invention;

form of the Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the package shown in Fig Fig. 3 is a vertical section through thepackage illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2, showing how the tab may be bent upwardly to form a handle;

Figs. 4 and 5 elevations,

and

respectively, of cordance with another form of the are fragmentary front andside a bag closed in acinvention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the form of package depicted in Figs. 4 and 5, but illustrating it as it appears when in use," and showing my novel pouring spout.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and more particularly first to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, 5 clas of the bellows found that by cutting off the the proper point, I am able when opened up, prefolded piece of preferably stiff and resilient sheet A material applied to one side only of the top of the bag, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In order to seal the bag, when a tab of this type is employed, I bring the upper ends of the bag walls together in flat relation and in substantial contact throughout a transverse zone, as before, and then fold the top portion of the bag over on itself, as indicated at l in Fig. 2. The single or flat form of tab, above referred to, is indicated at 3 and this is placed against one side of the bag with its upper edge substantially coincident with the upper folded edge I of the bag. A row of staples or other fastening means 6 are then passed through the folded-over portions of the bag top and the tab, so as to efiectively seal the bag and secure the tab thereto. This tab t serves to reinforce and stiffen the upper end of the bag and cause it to stand upright, so as to present a neat, attractive appearance.

If desired, a finger opening may be formedin the tab Ll, as shown at 8 in Figs. 1 and 3, and the tab may then be ben' carrying handle, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and as fully described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,050,967, dated August 11, 1936.

As stated in the preamble, I contemplate cutting off a corner of the filled and sealed bag along a diagonal line so as to provide a pouring opening. The approximate preferred position of such a line may be defined by a mark formed on the tab as indicated at l in Fig. 1, and it will be observed that one of the fastening. devices it is preferably located between this line and the outside. edge of the bag. By reference to Fig. '1, it will also be observed that the upper end of this t upwardly to constitute a line, where it meets the fold-line of the bag, is

disposed inwardly of the crease or inner fold-line crease 3 and producing a pouring spout 3 of the form clearly shown in Fig. 6. The straight upper edges of this spout, as seen in Fig. 6, correspond, oi course, to the cut line ll, only their angle to the original fold-line of the bag has been reversed.

After the desired amount of material has been poured or dispensed from this spout, the opening may be substantially reclosed by pushing the end of the gusset, constituting the spout, baclt through the opening into its original position Thus the present invention provides not only an exceptionally convenient pouring spout, but also means inherent in the package itself by which the pouring opening may be reclosed when de-= sired. Thus, no auxiliary means for closing the pouring opening is required.

I find, in some cases, especially where the bag is made of relatively heavy-paper or the like, that so far as the described method of forming the improved pouring spout is concerned, it is not necessary to use any tab at all. In such cases, after bringing the bag walls together in substantial contact throughout a transverse zone, the top of the bag may be simply folded over on itself and secured by staples d, or other fastening means as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When the corner of this bag is cut off along the diagonal line i, lying between the outermost staple, and a point on the fold disposed inwardly of the crease line 3* of the gusset, the upper end of the gusset may be pulled out of the opening thus provided to form a pouring spout, as shown in Fig. 6. It will, of course, be understood that, where the top of the bag is folded over, the diagonal out line must extend inwardly beyond the gusset, in order to free the same. Where no tab is employed, but the end of the bag simply folded over as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the simulation of the outline of a tab may be printed directly on the bag, for the purpose of ornamentation, if so desired.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated the use of three staples or fastening devices 6, while in Fig. 4 I have shown four such fastening devices. The exact number is of course immaterial, but the important requirement is, first, that the outermost staples on each side pass through the infolded gussets, and second, that the inner staple or staples, at least adjacent the side of the bag which is to be out, are so placed that they do not pass through the infolded gusset, so that the gusset, after the corner of the bag has been cut off, is left free to be pulled out.

The invention is applicable to flexible bags made of paper, cellulose sheeting, metal foil or other suitable materials or combinations thereof, and as a matter of appearance, and for display purposes, it is frequently desired to make the sealing tab of relatively stiff sheet material.

The form of package shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which there is employed a tab disposed on one side only of the bag, lends itself readily to being folded down to form a substantially flat top, to facilitate packing in cartons, for shipping or storage purposes.

What I claim is:

l. A package comprising a flexible bag containing any desired material, the end portions of the bag walls being brought together at the top in flat relation throughout a definite transverse zone, and a tab of relatively stiff sheet material reinforcing the said end portions and secured thereto by fastening means extending through the same, said tab lying on one side only of the bag, and extending a substantial distance longitudinally thereof, whereby the top of the bag is reinforced and stiffened, but may be readily folded over, to facilitate packing in cartons.

2. A package adapted to contain finely divided material and comprising a bellows-sided bag having infolded portions forming gussets, the end portions of the bag walls being brought together at the top in flat relation, with the infolded gussets between them, and folded over, and means securing them in this position, one of the bag walls having formed thereon a mark defining a diagonal line of severance along which the corner of the bag and gusset may be cut off to provide a pouring opening, such line intersecting the fold of the bag walls at a point inwardly of the fold of the gusset.

3. A package adapted to contain finely divided material and comprising a bellows-sided bag having infolded portions forming gussets, the end portions of the bag walls being brought together at the top in fiat relation, with the infolded gussets between them, and folded over, and a row of spaced fastening devices securing them in this position, the outermost of which fastening devices passes through each gusset, one of the bag walls having formed thereon. a mark defining a diagonal line of severance along which the corner of the bag and gusset may be cut off to provide a pouring opening, such line lying inside of said outermost fastening device and intersecting the fold of the bag walls at a point inwardly of the fold of the gusset.

d. A. package adapted to contain finely divided material and comprising a bellows-sided bag having infolded portions forming gussets, the end portions of the bag walls being brought together at the top in flat relation, with the infolded gussets between them, and folded over,

and a row of spaced fastening devices securing them in this position, the outermost of which fastening devices passes through the gusset and the next adjacent fastening device being spaced inwardly of the fold of the gusset, one of the bag walls having formed thereon a mark defining a diagonal line of severance along which the corner of the bag and gusset may be cut off to provide a pouring opening, such line passing between the said two fastening devices and intersecting the fold of the bag walls at a point inwardly of the fold of the gusset.

5. The herein described method of dispensing finely divided material from a bellows-sided bag having infolded, longitudinally extending gussets, and the end portions of the bag being brought together at the top in flat relation, with the gussets between them and folded over and secured in folded position, which method comprises cutting off a corner of the folded bag end and gusset portions along a diagonal line extending inwardly beyond the gusset, and pulling out of the opening thus formed the free upper end portion of the gusset to provide a. pouring spout.

6. A package containing finely divided material and comprising a flexible, bellows-sided bag having longitudinally folded portions at each side forming gussets, the end portions of the bag walls being brought together at the top in substantially fiat relation and folded over, the gusset at one side of the bag being infolded between them, and means for securing the said walls and gusset in this position, the gusset at the other side having its upper edges formed on a diagonal line and projecting outwardly from the bag to provide a pouring spout.

JOHN A. FARMER. 

